


The Home Collections

by noblecrescent



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, Dorks in Love, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Old Flames, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Sweet, TARDIS - Freeform, Whovians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:21:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23022394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noblecrescent/pseuds/noblecrescent
Summary: This is a companion story to The Beginning of Everything listed on my profile. Come see what Renata and the Doctor (through his various incarnations) are up to when they're not in danger!
Relationships: Tenth Doctor - Relationship, Tenth Doctor/Original Character(s), Tenth Doctor/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. The Stinging

**Author's Note:**

> I will specify at the beginning of each chapter when the one-shot is a canon or an AU.

"This is all lovely but don't you think we should allow Donna a chance to _rest_?" Renata's concern did nothing to persuade the Doctor to gather up their newest companion and return to the TARDIS. 

"No, she's just fine," he reassured Renata and watched Donna walk up to a small bridge connecting the beautiful garden they were visiting. 

"She hasn't slept in 2 days," Renata pointed out. "Correct me if I'm wrong but humans need to sleep _everyday_."

"Quite right, but you see when people first come aboard the TARDIS, they sort of run on the adrenaline for a few days. Even if I _did_ tell Donna to take a nap, she wouldn't do it."

"But she really needs to sleep. It's not healthy. Her mind isn't as alert as she would be if she was getting a night's rest."

"Which is why I specifically chose this calm retreat for today," the Doctor gestured to the serene garden around them.

Renata could commend the Doctor for his subtle thinking. _He's done this so many times,_ she reminded herself. He knew what he was doing when it came to the companions, _she_ did not. "I'm sorry," she apologized a few minutes later.

The Doctor didn't seem very upset. He was smiling like he usually did. "I know how these first days go, Ren. I didn't want to bring Donna somewhere that could turn out to be dangerous. Actually, I think this is the perfect place to inspire Donna to take some rest. Wouldn't you agree?"

Renata only had to look around for two seconds before nodding her head. The garden was part of a luxurious retreat for people in need of serenity for whatever reason. There was no technology allowed for the visitors. Not even a television. The retreat was a nine-story building where the first five floors were dedicated to a treatment for the _soul_. The rest of the four floors were the guests' bedrooms. The only reason the Doctor's TARDIS had been accepted was because apparently, they owed him.

He had helped save the place at one point, Renata learned. She wasn't remotely surprised.

She honestly loved the garden. It was _huge_. It seemed almost endless. The grass was a mushy green that just begged for visitors to take off their shoes and let their feet feel the ground. Renata was tempted but that was just inappropriate (she firmly believed it). There were various areas that allowed visitors to have their own mini-gardens to tend to.

"Yeah, you're right. This place is lovely," Renata sighed with content. If only all their trips could be like this...

The Doctor would've died of boredom, she was sure. With a smile, she headed for the bridge that Donna had stopped by.

"Those fishes look like ghosts," Donna remarked when the Time Lady came to a stop beside her. Renata peered over the bridge to see white translucent fishes gliding through the water. Donna suddenly gasped, making Renata think something had happened in the one minute she'd gazed into the lake. "Do they have ghost fishes in space!?"

Renata's face fell flat at the question. She turned her head to the Doctor, making a gesture behind her. The Doctor had to laugh.

"Yeah, those questions happen too," he said, making Donna wonder if they were having some sort of freaky alien conversation in their heads. The Doctor did mention he had that ability and since he had it, Donna was sure that Renata had it as well.

"Donna," Renata turned to the ginger, "There are no such thing as 'ghost fishes'."

"Well," Donna folded her arms, huffing in embarrassment. "How was I supposed to know? I'm brand new at this!"

Renata playfully rolled her eyes. That was fair.

"So Donna, how do you like this place?" the Doctor moved to stand on Donna's other side, leaving her in the middle of the Time Lords.

"It's really nice," Donna nodded, forgetting all about her momentary mistake. "Although the whole 'no cellphones' thing could be revisited."

"The whole point of this place is for people to disconnect," the Doctor reminded her. "Sometime that's what everybody needs."

"Yeah, _you_ ever disconnect from the world?"

Renata startled them with a snort. "What do you think happens when he starts rambling on to himself? Completely forgets anyone else is in the room."

Donna laughed. "Right!"

The Doctor shot Renata a mock-glare that the Time Lady didn't notice. She was busy watching the ghost fishes swim. "I like to talk a lot. Sue me."

"If I did sue you it wouldn't be for your mouth, it'd be for the ridiculous situations you get me into."

"Ah!" he groaned and looked away in exasperation. 

"Don't start you two," Donna pointed two playing fingers at them. It was ridiculous how they could start bickering over the smallest of things...but it was also kind of funny sometimes. 

"I didn't say anything -- AH!" Renata's hand slapped her right shoulder so hard that it made both Donna and the Doctor flinch. "What the hell was _that_!?"

"Did she just curse?" Donna blinked at the Time Lady, completely oblivious to Renata's clear distress over her shoulder. "I didn't know she did that!"

The Doctor had sprung into action and rushed to Renata's side. "What happened? Let me see!" Renata's hand was already moving off her shoulder when he pushed it away himself. "Oh..." There was a small orange bug sitting on her shoulder -- a part of its bottom stabbing her skin.

"Oh? What is _that_?" Renata gritted her teeth at the nasty creature. 

"Uh, well...it's, um...sort of the equivalent of a bee..."

"A _bee_!? You mean those annoying buzzing yellow things Earth has!?"

"Uh, yes, that would be the one."

"This place has bees?" Donna started spinning around searching for more of the creatures in case they also wanted to sting.

"Doctor, this hurts! And why the hell is it orange!?" Renata wanted to pry the bee off her but the Doctor had shoved her hand away again.

"Y-y-you can't just yank it out, Ren!"

"It's _stabbing_ me!" she snapped. "I think I can yank it out of I want to!"

"Well, yes, but, _but_ \--" he pointed a finger at her face, though he quickly pulled it away when she fixated a rather dark glare on him, "This isn't just a regular Earth bee. We need to get this out the right way or it might just release more poison into your system."

"Poison!?" Donna gasped in horror. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Ah, yes, completely harmless if we just take the bee out," the Doctor turned Renata around and started leading her off the bridge. "Not _yank_ it out," he shot her a warning look for those hands of hers to stay on her sides. "Usually when a native bee here stings it'll just release a minor level of poison that just passes a few hours later."

"Yeah but it _hurts_ ," Renata complained and wanted so badly to rub her shoulder. "Like...it _really_ hurts."

"I know, I know, I'll get it out. I promise," the Doctor quickened their pace to get to the TARDIS. "Donna, you can stay out here if you'd like."

"No way!" the ginger called behind them. She was literally right behind them. "I'm not getting stung by _alien_ bees! I think I'll just visit a garden inside the TARDIS."

"Have it your way," the Doctor said distractedly. He wasn't paying attention to her because Renata was starting to whimper the more she continued to look at the bee still embedded in her skin. "You'll be fine," he took her hand and soothingly ran his fingers over the back of it. 

"I should just let you know I'm kind of afraid of bugs. That could be it too," she confessed with a wrinkled nose. Her head turned in the opposite direction after catching the bee's wings still fluttering. 

"I promise you that you'll be fine," the Doctor said just as they reached the TARDIS. He brought them inside and after taking them off the retreat, he took Renata for the medbay.

Donna had gone off to the garden she talked about but the Doctor might have caught her yawning.

"Just my luck, I get stung by a stupid _bee_!" Renata huffed when she was able to sit down on the medical bed. "And it hurts so much! Why does it hurt so much!?"

"This is a different type of bee than the ones you got used to on Earth," the Doctor came over with a few tools that Renata wasn't precisely fond of. "It's body is a bit denser than Earth bees."

"Just get it out, please," Renata's hand reached for her shoulder but the Doctor caught it before she could touch it. "Sorry..."

The Doctor smiled softly at her. "Don't worry about it. Just relax, okay? I got you." Renata felt herself flush with that look of his. Of course he had her. _I'm completely under your charm, that's what you got_ , she silently thought. 

"Okay, now this is a fairly simple procedure but it might pinch a little," the Doctor warned her as he neared her shoulder with a tool that resembled a tweezer.

"What-what are you going to do?" she eyed the tool wearily.

"Just going to take the bee out."

"Is it going to try and fly afterwards!?"

"Nah, just like Earth bees once I get this one it's just going to die without its stinger."

"Good," Renata pouted, an action she hardly did which was why the Doctor was so amused with her for a second. She stopped being that proper Time Lady to be a scared girl. It was quite a sight. 

"Right, just, uh...I don't know, close your eyes if you'd like?" he watched her nod and nervously shut her eyes. "You'll be fine," he whispered encouragingly. He put one of his hands on the edge of her shoulder while his other hand went for the bloody bee. He felt her body flinch when the tweezer started pulling the bee out. It was actually a bit of a bigger bee, much to her luck, but he wouldn't tell her that. "You're doing good, Ren," he told her.

"It _hurts_..." her face scrunched harder.

"I know, just hang on for another minute." He purposely rubbed her shoulder with his free hand, hoping to soothe her until the bee was completely out. "There you are," he grinned, not that Renata saw it considering she still had her eyes shut. "It's all out! I even got the stinger in one go!"

But Renata still wouldn't open her eyes. 

"Renée, you can open your eyes now. I've got the bee."

It was still a struggle to open her eyes completely so she just cracked one open. She yelped when she saw that he was still holding the bee in his tweezer. "Get it away from me!" she swatted her hands in front of him.

The Doctor chuckled. "Alright, alright." He turned away and took the bee with him. 

Renata checked her shoulder and saw there was an ugly red blotch marking her skin now. There was a slight swelling in the middle, making it more prominent with its whiter shade. And then she saw the hole it left behind. Granted it was tiny but it was still a _hole_ in her skin.

"Renée?" the Doctor saw the tears filling her eyes. "What's the matter?"

"Would it be too childish to say it still hurts?"

"Oh Renata, you're fine," the Doctor would've chuckled had she not been so scared. Instead, he took her into a soft hug. 

"You must think I'm ridiculous, huh?" Renata sniffed. She hadn't really hugged him but she would never mind getting a hug from him. He still hugged like his first incarnation. "Time Lady gets taken down a by a stupid bee."

"I think we all have our fears," the Doctor said, completely calm. He rubbed her back and might have dropped a kiss to the top of her hair. She blushed and for that matter she kept the hug going for a bit longer until it faded. "Now how's about I clean it up and then we do some dinner?"

"Okay," she sniffed and pulled away.

He picked up an old fashion wet cloth and gently dabbed the affected skin. "It did swell a bit but nothing an ice pack can't take care of."

"Just my luck," she sighed. 

"You're going to be fine," he promised her yet again. He traded the wet cloth for an ice pack that he then pressed against her skin. Renata flinched at the contact of the coldness but she allowed it to stay on her skin until it started soothing the bump. "There we go!" the Doctor brought one of Renata's hand to keep the ice pack in place. "Leave that on for about 15 minutes and we're back in business!"

Renata looked at him with a growing smile until it became a small laugh. "Thank you, _Doctor._ How much do I owe you?"

"One dinner," he laughed with her.

"Right, I'll get on that then," she moved to get off the bed but he gently held her arm to keep her sitting.

"No, no, I meant have one dinner with me," he clarified and though Renata knew he meant just one of their regular dinners they had each night, she still blushed. "But I'm helping you make it," he warned. "After all, you've got an injured shoulder."

"Please," she scoffed. "I'm being a big baby, that's what. Thanks for sticking through, though."

"Always," he gave her another hug and after a few moments he told her they would never go back to that retreat again.

She didn't like bees, so he would make sure to keep them far away from her.


	2. Gabby's Log #1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabby's writing in her journal about her recent trip to the Hampton Court Palace!

_It's been a while since I've written in this thing but in my defense I've been VERY busy. And running. There's SO much running involved. But still, it's so much fun being in the TARDIS! I don't think I could ever give it up!_

_Just last week we went to the Hampton Court Palace where King Henry VIII and Queen Anne of Cleves were! I met actual ROYALTY. I can't wait to tell Cindy about it! She would go mad! I talked to an actual prince too! I might draw him a bit more later on. He was REALLY cute! And he thought I was a proper Lady of the court, sister to a Marchioness! How funny it all was..._

_Of course then it got a little funky in the middle. Renata and the Doctor got into a HUGE argument because of King Henry. The Doctor was so sure that the King wanted Renata as his wife, though I'm pretty sure it was mostly because the Doctor was just seething with jealousy. But don't tell him I said that - he'd go nuts! I don't think he realizes that HE likes Renata too but I'm sure Donna's coaching him or something. She talks to him a lot whenever he's upset, kinda like how I talk to Renata when she's upset._

_It's weird how that works. Donna's the Doctor's companion and I'm Renata's companion/student. Though I'm pretty sure Renata views me and Donna as like her adoptive children sometimes. She said it once too I think. It makes sense too. Renata is 756 years old and I'm 19 and Donna is..._

_I actually DON'T know Donna's age. Every time I get close to asking her, she throws me this look that scares me. I don't think I'll ever know how old she is._

_I think I got off topic, didn't I?_

_Well, the Doctor and Renata argued in the palace and they shouted so horribly at each other. I've never seen them that type of mad before._ _Donna and I had to talk to each of them afterwards so that they could work it out. It seemed to work cos they started to dance together in the party later that night. They looked kind of cute. ( But I won't tell Renata that cos she might get that 'Mom' look on her face). Everything seemed to be fine after that. The next day they seemed happier than ever. I hope it stays that way. They're much better happier together And funny!_

_But then King Henry had his guards chase us down the gardens because he really wanted Renata as his wife and the Doctor explicitly said 'NO'. Donna said they were like little boys fighting over a girl. Only in this case, the 'little girl' was a furious Time Lady who smacked the Doctor for making us run so much. And she really did look tired after we got back into the TARDIS. She hadn't been feeling well right before and the run didn't help._

_Speaking of, I think Renata's condition is getting worse. She hasn't told us anything, neither has the Doctor, but I know. Donna knows too. We can SEE it. Yesterday I swore I saw something golden in her eyes. I really hope the Doctor can figure something out to help her because at the rate it's going, I truly can't see Renata living past what's left of this year. And I don't know what I'd do if I lost her. She's become someone truly important to me in these past few months. I don't want to lose her._

_That's pretty much it for now. I heard the Doctor calling; says he's got a Library to show us or something. We'll see how that goes. I mean, not even THE DOCTOR could get us into trouble in a LIBRARY, right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so this is something I'm trying out here! I thought it would be fun to sort of start this 'log' of Gabby's entries in her journal. It would be like what's going on in-between chapters. What do you think?
> 
> As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "noble-crescent" and the tag I created for any posts having to do with my work is # noblecrescentedit.


	3. Gabby's Log #2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a lonely time for Gabby in the TARDIS now that Renata and Donna are no longer with them. It's time to write in her journal again...

_Loneliness. I never realized how cruel that sentiment was. I have a big family so 'loneliness' isn't something I really dealt with. My only problem was that my parents didn't agree with my artistic desires, but I was never alone._

_For the past few months, I've felt so lonely and I don't know what to do with myself. The sadder part is that the Doctor is no stranger to loneliness. He's an expert at it and it honestly breaks my heart. The absence of Renata is slowly, but surely, taking a toll on him. He's been telling me a lot more about himself now that it's just us in the TARDIS. He's told me about the countless people he's lost along his travels. People close to him have died, have chosen to leave..._

_And the latest was Donna and Renata. It breaks my heart too. Donna will never come back to us and we'll never get to see her again. It still brings tears to my eyes and I doubt it'll ever change._

_Renata's decision to leave is just as sad but it's even worse knowing that none of us know whether or not she'll get to come back. I've seen the Doctor working nonstop to find her a cure. Sometimes I have to pull him out before his lack of care to himself reaches dangerous levels. Truthfully, I can understand him. It's Renata's life on the line and if she was the love of my life, I'd be working nonstop too. But no, that title is reserved for the Doctor only even if he doesn't say it out loud to him - I can only hope that he's confessed that to Renata herself. I can only do what I see fit and what Renata advises me to do. The biggest thing she tells me constantly is to take care of myself and help the Doctor._

**_'Don't let him fall into a dark place.'_ **

**_'Make sure he takes care of himself too.'_ **

**_'Go out on leisure trips every once in a while.'_ **

_To the Doctor's credit, he did take us out sometimes but...it still isn't the same. We've gone to Victorian London where we fought a huge Cyberman. I never want to see one of those again. We did have a nice Christmas dinner but the Doctor cut it short so we could come back to Zhe's gallery and see how Renata was doing. Easter strolled by - or rather an Easter did. Time is so illusive for us. We met a criminal named Christina de Souza who was pretty cool until she kissed the Doctor in the end. I would've been angry on behalf of Renata but the Doctor looked so miserable I didn't comment._

_The truth is that the Doctor and I do try to have some type of fun even though our hearts are shattered by the losses we endured. We explore together, laugh together, eat together, we're...lonely together. We miss Renata and Donna so much. I miss them._

_Now that my family knows the truth about what I do, they often ask me - when I visit them - how Renata is doing. When I tell them the same answer as always - that she's no better than before - they wonder why I still stick around. Why do I insist on traveling inside a box is so dangerous that people have died there? The answer is alarming but certain. I love the people inside it. The Doctor, Renata and Donna became my family. They were my space family and now that Donna is gone, I want to cling to what I have left of the good days. I want to do my part to help bring together the remainder of our space family and that means I have to help bring Renata back._

_But the months are passing by and nothing seems to get better. It's hard to believe that one day things might return to normal. Renata coming back to the TARDIS, resuming her position as my pseudo-teacher (and space mother even though I don't need one!), and hell, even giving herself a chance with the Doctor. That would be a sight to see but it would be such a good sight, a happy one._

_The Doctor, Renata and me back in the TARDIS...without Donna. Will that ever be possible?_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This was such a sad one to write but I wanted to get into Gabby's head during these months that will pass by for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "noble-crescent" and the tag I created for any posts having to do with my work is # noblecrescentedit.

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter literally happened because yours truly got stung by a stupid bee at work today and she wanted someone to hug her. I don't know if Time Lords are even affected by bees but they are in this world!


End file.
